Chapter 61: Observatory SC-17 and Goliath X-01

Kreyn explained how his ability worked in simple terms.

Diaro wasn’t a fool. He realized that if he wanted to benefit from the third condition of their deal, Kreyn needed a powerful gene, and the abandoned observatory was his last chance to get one.

"What are you up to?" Kreyn looked at Diaro.

"Nothing special. Since we’ve formed a team of four strong Hunters and we need a high-quality gene, how about we awaken one of the iron guards?"

Kreyn tilted his head.

"The iron guards? Are you saying some kind of knights are protecting the abandoned observatory?"

"No." Varyn’s voice rang out. "No monsters have shown up there in a long time. Even marauders have nothing left to do there, let alone monsters. But the abandoned observatory has a defense system, and it’s still working, sort of."

Kreyn furrowed his brow.

"You know, I’m starting to dislike how this sounds. If they’ve already stripped the observatory of every last copper wire but haven’t destroyed the entire defense system yet, then there must be a reason for it."

"Y-Yes!" Groza agreed with Kreyn. "Maybe you should contact Dust Star, and we’ll figure something out about the gene at our next meeting?"

Diaro laughed heartily, patting his knee.

"Hahaha! Nice try! But I’m sure we can pull this off!"

"Agh..." Kreyn sighed heavily. "How about you tell us what you know? What are these iron guards?"

"Sure."

Diaro nodded.

"To be precise, we’re currently heading toward the Observatory SC-17. Besides the antenna we need, there’s also an underground level that no one has ever entered. Of course, many have tried."

Without realizing it, a smirk spread across Kreyn’s face.

"Let me guess. Every time you try to get to the underground level, the security system activates, and those very iron guards you were talking about come out?"

"Almost."

"Hmm?"

Diaro’s eyes flashed.

"Many of the iron guards have already been defeated, but from what I’ve figured out, this observatory’s defense system works in a rather interesting way. You can defeat all the guards except the main one, and the passage to the underground level won’t open, but if you were to take out just the main guard, the entire defense would be defeated."

"And... Surely you have a way to provoke the main guard specifically, right?"

Diaro spread his arms wide.

"Of course. You see, information about which guards remain at the Observatory SC-17 is something you can get for a fair price. So, yes, I know about the main guard and all the others - from their appearance to their capabilities."

"But... How is that even possible?" Groza was confused.

"It’s simple." Varyn crossed her arms over her chest. "You can figure a lot out using special devices, or... there’s another way."

Kreyn smirked. "Lure them out, then escape while gathering data along the way. Am I right?"

"Yes. If you move far enough away, the guard will return to its underground cell. They tried to destroy them before activation, using explosives, lots of explosives, but as long as the cells are sealed, nothing can harm the guards."

Kreyn was silent for a moment, thinking it over, before nodding.

"Fine, what can you tell me about the main guard? Is it a monster or what?"

Diaro shook his head with a slight smile.

"It’s not a monster, well, at 99% that’s not a monster, to be precise. The main guard is called the Goliath X-01. It’s a robot powered not only by electricity, but by the energy core that forms its foundation."

Kreyn was confused.

Sure, he didn’t expect to have to fight a huge robot defending an abandoned observatory, but something else stumped him.

"Wait. But how do you plan to get the gene by killing the robot? You said that at the observatory we’d be able to get a rare gene, but in the end, our opponent is... a robot?"

Varyn glared at him sternly. "It’s all about the core. If it were an ordinary robot, then of course you wouldn’t get the gene. But that 1% is what changes the whole situation."

Diaro nodded.

"Indeed. If there’s energy, then there’s a gene, after all, genes are the code of energy, an imprint if you wish. But that’s exactly why defeating the Goliath X-01 will be much harder than taking down an ordinary robot. Physically, it’s a creature made of steel, but on the energy side, it’s a monster because of its core."

"Huh... So it’s some kind of hybrid..."

Diaro shrugged.

"Not quite. You just haven’t encountered anything like this before, so it’s surprising to you. All the other guards are the same, but we’re not interested in them. Their genes aren’t that rare, and defeating them won’t grant us access to the underground level."

Tap. Tap.

Kreyn tapped his temple, mulling over Diaro’s words. This whole situation, which began with Garius and Kalysa, had brought him both problems and benefits, but he’d learned a lot about the world beyond the walls.

"Hmm. Alright, so the Goliath X-01 is technically a monster. But since it has a metal body, that means it’s particularly vulnerable to electricity, right?"

Diaro and Varyn exchanged glances as he nodded.

"Yes, I think that’s correct. But neither Varyn nor Norma possesses those abilities."

"Well, I can’t summon lightning either." Kreyn grinned before pointing at Groza. "She can, in two different ways."

No sooner did he say this than Diaro’s eyes lit up as he took her by the hand.

"That’s just wonderful! Now, our victory is guaranteed!"

Knock!

Something tapped on the window, and Norma’s head popped out of the van.

"Hey, wrap up your conversation, we’re already here!"

She turned back to Roco, patted it on the head, and hopped down to the ground.

"Alright, let’s not keep her waiting," Diaro said as they stepped out of the van.

As soon as Kreyn’s boots touched the thick layer of rusty sand covering the field, the Observatory SC-17 came into view.

The stone hemispherical structure stood atop a wide building protected by high walls. From the very top of the sphere, a massive antenna peered out, pointing north. But what everyone who came here feared was located outside.

Like rectangular petals, iron platforms radiated out from the walls, with a ten-meter gap between each one. These were the cells where the observatory’s guards were stationed deep underground.

However, to use the antenna or reach ground level, they didn’t need to fight them. The ground-level security system had long since been disabled, and the gates stood open, their gears worn down to rust.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Kreyn turned to Diaro. "How do we activate the security mechanism? I mean, if we go into the observatory, we’ll have to escape from there, right?"

"Yes. That’s exactly why we’ll provoke only the Goliath X-01."

Then, he looked toward one of the cells.

"Varyn. You know what to do."

"Yes. Follow me." She strode forward confidently.

Diaro took control of Roco and moved further away, while Varyn and the others took their positions.

Kreyn, Groza, and Norma remained in the center while Varyn headed straight for the target cell.

Traces of ancient battles were visible near the walls, and several cells were open - defeated iron guards used to be held there. However, the cell before them remained intact, as no one yet managed to defeat its guard.

"I hope Diaro wasn’t wrong about you," Norma said, looking ahead. "I’ve seen recordings of what Goliath X-01 is capable of. Compared to the Vine Beasts, it’s on a whole other level."

"Good." Kreyn nodded. "That’s the only way to get high-quality genes."

Tap.

Varyn placed a small, round device on the cell - it was a mine.

She spun around abruptly and ran back toward them as an explosion blasted behind her.

Tremble!

At the same moment, a red light burst forth along with an alarm that echoed throughout the observatory.

The massive shadow broke out, and its mere appearance sent gusts of wind their way, whipping up sand in swirling blades.

Diaro, who was watching from a distance, nodded with narrowed eyes.

"It seems our meeting was actually a twist of fate, or... just pure luck."

All he could do was hope for their victory against the main guard of the Observatory SC-17.

Kreyn looked up at the monster, whose size could even dwarf the Blue Rahta Beast.

"Let’s see if your gene is worth it."